Issue
When I hit Tab for indenting code, I like to get a real tab. Meaning that when I select that, I only have one large thing selected. NetBeans inserts 5 spaces instead of a tab when I hit Tab. Is there a way I can change that?
Solution
Go to Tools-> Options-> Editor-> Formatting and uncheck Expand tabs to spaces:
Ensure you also pick coherent values for "Number of Spaces per indent" and "Tab Size".
Additionally, you can check all the items in the Language combo and make sure they all use the general setting.
You can also change it in a per-project fashion. Right click on the project icon, select Properties and review the Formatting category.
These menu items remain valid as of NetBeans 8.0.
Answered By - Álvaro González
Answer Checked By - Marie Seifert (JavaFixing Admin)